Watergate Cake is a recipe that has been popular for years and has stood the test of time. A box of cake mix, instant pistachio pudding, and Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil combine to make a super moist and tender Bundt cake that’s then covered in a pistachio-flavored frosting.
A Great Holiday Recipe
The holidays are all about reaching for those nostalgic recipes that bring back memories and remind you of holidays past. As children, we always received a bag of pistachios in our Christmas stockings and it was about the only time of year we ever had pistachios in the house so I always associate them with Christmas.
Unlike most southern families, there’s not a long line of people who love to cook in my family. Neither one of my grandmother’s enjoyed spending time in the kitchen. But my Grandfather did. And this is his recipe for Watergate Cake which was printed in a cookbook that his church (St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Monroe, NC) published. I think he may have been the only male to submit recipes for the cookbook.
Watergate Cake
Watergate Cake is a retro dessert with lots of pistachio flavor in the cake and the frosting.
Ingredients
- ▢1 (16.25-ounce) box white cake mix
- ▢1 (3.4-ounce) box instant pistachio pudding mix
- ▢3 large eggs
- ▢1 cup Crisco Vegetable oil
- ▢1 cup club soda
- ▢1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Frosting
- ▢1 (3.4-ounce) box instant pistachio pudding
- ▢1 package cool whip mix
- ▢1 1/2 cups cold milk
- ▢additional walnuts for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cake mix, 1 box of pistachio pudding, eggs, vegetable oil, and club soda for 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes.
- Let cool 5 minutes and then remove from pan to cool completely.
- To make frosting. beat 1 box pistachio pudding, cool whip mix, and milk until thick. Spread frosting on cooled cake. Top with walnuts.
Notes
Use the pistachio pudding straight from the box. Do not make pudding with it.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal
Watergate Cake